CN107356936B

CN107356936B - Contactless obstacle detection system for a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: CN107356936B
Application number: CN201710277648.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 塞缪尔·R·巴鲁科; 加布里埃莱·韦恩·萨巴蒂尼; J·R·斯科特·米切尔; 库尔特·M·沙茨
Original assignee: Magna Covering Co ltd
Current assignee: Magna Covering Co ltd
Priority date: 2016-04-25
Filing date: 2017-04-25
Publication date: 2023-12-12
Anticipated expiration: 2037-04-25
Also published as: US20170306684A1; CN107356936A; DE102017206820A1; US10443292B2

Abstract

A non-contact obstacle detection (NCOD) system for a motor vehicle and a method of operating the non-contact obstacle detection system are disclosed. The NCOD system includes a main electronic control unit adapted to be connected to a power supply. At least one non-contact obstacle sensor is coupled to the main electronic control unit for detecting obstacles in the vicinity of the closure of the vehicle. The control unit is configured to detect an obstacle and to stop movement of the closure member in response to detecting the obstacle. Further, the control unit is configured to release the latch and apply power to the electric motor in response to the absence of the detection of the obstacle. The control unit is further configured to determine whether the closure is in the fully open position and if the closure is not in the fully open position, continue to apply power to a motor coupled to the closure.

Description

Contactless obstacle detection system for a motor vehicle

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 62/327,317 filed on 25 th 4 of 2016 and U.S. provisional application No. 62/460,152 filed on 17 th 2 of 2017. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to a non-contact obstacle detection system for a motor vehicle and a method of operating the non-contact obstacle detection system.

Background

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure, which is not necessarily prior art.

More and more motor vehicles are equipped with sensors that detect the environment and topography surrounding the motor vehicle. For example, some vehicles include a sensor system that provides an image of terrain and/or other objects in the vicinity of the vehicle. Sensing systems utilizing radar are also used to detect the presence and location of objects in the vicinity of a motor vehicle as the vehicle moves. The signals and data generated by these sensor systems may be used by other systems of the motor vehicle to provide safety features such as vehicle control, anti-collision and parking assistance. Such sensing systems are typically used to assist a driver while driving a motor vehicle and/or interventional control vehicle.

In addition, more and more vehicle closures (e.g., doors, liftgates, etc.) are provided with a powered actuation mechanism that is capable of opening and/or closing the closure. Typically, the power actuation system includes power operated devices such as, for example, an electric motor and a rotation-to-linear conversion device operable to convert a rotational output of the electric motor into translational movement of the extendable member. In most arrangements, the electric motor and the switching device are mounted on the closure and the distal end of the extendable member is fixedly secured to the vehicle body. One example of a power actuated system such as is shown in commonly owned U.S. patent No. 9,174,517, which discloses a power swing door actuator with a rotary to linear conversion device configured to include an externally threaded screw driven in rotation by an electric motor and an internally threaded drive nut engaged with the screw, and an extendable member attached to the drive nut. Thus, control of the rotational speed and direction of rotation of the screw causes control of the speed and direction of translational movement of the drive nut and extendable member, thereby controlling the swinging movement of the passenger door between its open and closed positions. Such powered actuation operations may cause problems with the closure inadvertently striking a surrounding object or obstruction. For example, objects near the closure may interfere with the opening or closing of the closure and/or the closure may be damaged if opened under power and hit an obstacle. However, known sensing systems or obstacle detection systems do not adequately address potential situations involving obstacles.

Accordingly, there is an increasing need for an obstacle detection system that prevents the closure from colliding with adjacent objects, primarily when the vehicle is stationary. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Disclosure of Invention

This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not intended to be construed as a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features, aspects, and objects.

It is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide a non-contact obstacle detection system for a motor vehicle. The contactless obstacle detection system comprises a main electronic control unit having a plurality of input-output terminals and adapted to be connected to a power supply. At least one non-contact obstacle sensor is coupled to a plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit for detecting obstacles near the closure of the vehicle. The power actuator is coupled to the closure member and a plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit for moving the closure member. The main electronic control unit is configured to use a powered actuator to move the closure member and to use the at least one contactless obstacle sensor to detect an obstacle. The main electronic control unit is further configured to stop movement of the closure member in response to the detected obstacle.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method of operating a contactless obstacle detection system for a motor vehicle. The method includes the step of determining whether the closure member is in the open position in response to detecting a command signal using the main electronic control unit. The next step of the method is to command the movement of the closure member from the fully closed position to the fully open position in response to determining that the closure member is not in the open position. The method may proceed by determining whether an obstacle is detected using at least one sensor, and then continuing to close the closure member in response to the obstacle not being detected. The next step in the method is to determine if the closure member is in the open position. The method may also return to the step of determining whether an obstacle is detected using at least one sensor in response to the closure member being in the open position. The method ends by stopping movement of the closure member in response to the closure member not being in the open position.

These and other aspects and areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

Drawings

The drawings described herein are for illustration of selected embodiments only and not all implementations + modes, and are not intended to limit the disclosure to what is actually shown. With this in mind, the various features and advantages of the example embodiments of the disclosure will become apparent from the following written description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 and 2 are block diagrams illustrating a contactless obstacle detection system for a motor vehicle according to aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a sensor multiplexer hub of the contactless obstacle detection system of FIGS. 1 and 2, according to aspects of the present disclosure;

fig. 4, 5A and 5B illustrate a plurality of lift gate TOF (time of flight) proximity sensors on a lift gate of a vehicle of the non-contact obstacle detection system of fig. 1 and 2 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of a lift gate TOF module of the non-contact obstacle detection system of FIGS. 1 and 2, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

7A-7D illustrate sensing capabilities of an infrared TOF sensor of the non-contact obstacle detection system of FIGS. 1 and 2 including the infrared TOF sensor in a trim of a door in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

8A-8D illustrate sensing capabilities of the infrared TOF sensor with radar sensing of the non-contact obstacle detection system of FIGS. 1 and 2 including the infrared TOF sensor in the trim of the door in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

fig. 9A-9D illustrate sensing capabilities of the ultrasonic sensor with radar sensing of the non-contact obstacle detection system of fig. 1 and 2 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

10A-10D illustrate sensing capabilities of the infrared TOF sensor with radar sensing of the non-contact obstacle detection system of FIGS. 1 and 2 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

11A and 11B illustrate a door handle TOF sensor of the non-contact obstacle detection system of FIGS. 1 and 2 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

12A-12D illustrate the sensing capabilities of the infrared TOF sensor with ultrasonic sensing of the non-contact obstacle detection system of FIGS. 1 and 2 including the infrared TOF sensor in the trim of the door in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

13A-13D illustrate the sensing capabilities of the ultrasonic sensor with radar and infrared TOF sensing of the non-contact obstacle detection system of FIGS. 1 and 2 including an infrared TOF sensor in the trim of a door in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

14A-14D illustrate sensing blind spots of the related side view mirror TOF sensor of the non-contact obstacle detection system of FIGS. 1 and 2 in accordance with aspects of the disclosure;

15A-15B illustrate side view mirror TOF sensors of the non-contact obstacle detection system of FIGS. 1 and 2 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

16A-16D illustrate a housing assembly of a TOF sensor of the non-contact obstacle detection system of FIGS. 1 and 2 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 17 illustrates steps of a method of teaching multiple lift gate TOF modules in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 18 illustrates steps of a method of operating a lift gate having multiple lift gate TOF modules in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 19 illustrates steps of a method of operating a front door with a side view mirror TOF sensor in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 20 illustrates steps of a method of operating a back door using a side-looking TOF sensor in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 21 illustrates steps of a method of operating a side door having a door handle TOF sensor, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of an example motor vehicle equipped with a powered door actuation system positioned between a front seat passenger swing door and a vehicle body and configured in accordance with the teachings of the present disclosure;

FIG. 23 is a diagrammatic view of the front seat passenger door of the electric door actuation system of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 25 with a portion of the vehicle body removed, but for clarity;

24A and 24B illustrate a pair of ultrasonic transducers on a mirror of a vehicle of the non-contact obstacle detection system of FIGS. 1 and 2 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 25A and 25B illustrate a plurality of ultrasonic transducers on a swing door of a vehicle of the non-contact obstacle detection system of FIGS. 1 and 2 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

26A and 26B illustrate a plurality of ultrasonic transducers on a threshold plate of a vehicle of the non-contact obstacle detection system of FIGS. 1 and 2 in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 27A and 27B illustrate a mechanical interceptor on a front guard of a vehicle, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure;

FIG. 28 illustrates steps of a method of detecting an object using a pair of ultrasonic transducers in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure; and

fig. 29 illustrates steps of a method of operating a pair of ultrasonic transducers in an ultrasonic transducer burst mode in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

In the following description, details are set forth to provide an understanding of the present disclosure. In some instances, certain circuits, structures, and techniques have not been described or shown in detail to avoid obscuring the disclosure.

In general, the present disclosure relates to obstacle detection systems of the type suitable for use in many applications. More specifically, disclosed herein are a non-contact obstacle detection (NCOD) system for a motor vehicle closure system and a method of operating the non-contact obstacle detection system. The non-contact obstacle detection system of the present disclosure will be described in connection with one or more example embodiments. However, the specific example embodiments disclosed are provided only to describe the inventive concepts, features, advantages and objects that will be sufficiently clear to allow those skilled in the art to understand and practice the disclosure.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, a non-contact obstacle detection system 20 for a motor vehicle 22 is disclosed. As best shown in fig. 1 and 2, the non-contact obstacle detection system 20 includes a main electronic control unit 24 having a plurality of input-output terminals and adapted to be connected to a power supply 26 and to a vehicle CAN bus 28 (controller area network).

The sensor multiplexer hub 30 is coupled to at least one of the plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit 24 for providing power to the sensor multiplexer hub 30 and for communicating with the main electronic control unit 24 via CAN communication. As best shown in fig. 3, the sensor multiplexer hub 30 includes a hub serial bus interface 32 and a hub CAN bus interface 34. The sensor multiplexer hub 30 additionally includes a serial bus interface 32 coupled to the hub to provide a signal at I ² Hub I providing communication over a C bus ² C-repeater 36 and couplingTo hub I ² Multiplexer 38 of C-repeater 36. Hub I ² The C-repeater 36 may also function as a level shifter. In particular, an inter-integrated circuit (I ² C) The bus is typically a multi-master multi-slave single ended serial computer bus. The sensor multiplexer hub 30 additionally includes a hub microcontroller 40 coupled to the multiplexer 38 and the hub CAN bus interface 34, and a hub voltage regulator 42 for regulating the voltage provided to the sensor multiplexer hub 30.

Referring back to fig. 2, the motor 44 and/or motor controller is also coupled to one of the plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit 24 (e.g., for moving a vehicle 22 closure, such as swing door 46 or lift door 48 shown in fig. 4) and may be operated by the main electronic control unit 24 using pulse width modulation. Although only one motor 44 is depicted and shown in the drawings, it should be understood that any number of motors 44 may be used.

The LCD unit 50 is also coupled to one of the plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit 24 for displaying information (e.g., an obstacle warning message) related to the non-contact obstacle detection system 20 to a user. The wireless interface unit 52 is also coupled to one of the plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit 24 for wireless communication. At least one angle sensor 54 (fig. 1) may also be coupled to the sensor multiplexer hub 30. The angle sensor 54 may detect an aspect such as, but not limited to, an angle of the swing door 46 of the vehicle 22.

The lift gate sensor assembly 56 includes a plurality of left lift gate TOF modules 58 and a plurality of right lift gate TOF modules 60 for attachment to the lift gate 48 (FIGS. 4, 5A and 5B) of the vehicle 22 and for detecting obstacles (and gestures) in the vicinity of the lift gate 48 and for outputting lift gate TOF sensor signals. The mass of the lift gate TOF modules 58, 60 depends on the size and shape of the lift gate 48. Time of flight (TOF) sensing enables absolute distance measurement independent of reflectance of a target. A sensor using this technique measures the amount of time (i.e., time of flight) that light travels from the emitter to the target and back. As described herein, the TOF sensor uses Infrared (IR) light.

As best shown in fig. 6, the left and right lift gate TOF modules 58, 60 each include a lift gate TOF module CAN bus interface 70 and a plurality of lift gate TOF proximity sensors 62. The liftgate TOF proximity sensor 62 may, for example, have a range of approximately 40 centimeters and may also include an integrated transmitter/receiver in one microchip. The left and right lift gate TOF modules 58, 60 each further include a lift gate TOF module I coupled to the lift gate TOF proximity sensor 62 and to the lift gate TOF module CAN bus interface 70 ² C repeater 72.

Referring back to fig. 2, the lift gate sensor assembly 56 includes a left I coupled to the left lift gate TOF module 58 for transmitting lift gate TOF sensor signals from the left lift gate TOF module 58 to the sensor multiplexer hub 30 ² And a module 74. Similarly, the lift gate sensor assembly 56 additionally includes a lift gate 48TOF sensor signal coupled to the right lift gate TOF module 60 for transmission from the right lift gate TOF module 60 to the sensor multiplexer hub 30. Left I of lift gate sensor assembly 56 ² C module 74 and right I ² The C-module 76 is coupled to the sensor multiplexer hub 30 for providing power to the lift gate sensor assembly and for communication between the main electronic control unit 24 and the lift gate sensor assembly 56. It should be appreciated that the plurality of liftgate TOF proximity sensors 62 may alternatively comprise sensors using ultrasonic transducers or radar.

A graphic voltage converter 78 is coupled to the sensor multiplexer hub 30 for converting the input voltage from the sensor multiplexer hub 30 to a graphic output voltage. A GPU (graphics processing unit) is coupled to the graphics voltage converter 78 and is configured to operate using the graphics output voltages from the graphics voltage converter 78 to process graphics data. Camera 82 is coupled to GPU 80 for attachment to vehicle 22 and for capturing computer vision images. An illumination unit 84 is coupled to the camera 82 to provide illumination to computer vision imaging through the camera 82. The camera 82 may include, for example, a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) Charge Coupled Device (CCD) image sensor. The camera 82 may generate an image of the target area and may be used, for example, to determine a speed or direction of an object (e.g., an obstacle), a shape and/or profile of the object, and/or to assist in non-contact obstacle detection.

The front-rear side door sensor assembly 86 includes a plurality of door handle TOF sensors 64, each door handle TOF sensor 64 for attachment to one of the front-rear side door handles 88 (fig. 7A-7D, 8A-8D, 9A-9D, and 10A-10D) and for detecting obstructions in the vicinity of the front-rear side door handles 88. Each of the plurality of door handle TOF sensors 64 can have a range of, for example, 1 meter, and can also include an integrated transmitter/receiver in a single microchip. The plurality of door handle TOF sensors 64 are coupled to each other and to at least one of the plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit 24. As shown in fig. 7A-7D, the non-contact obstacle detection system 20 for the motor vehicle 22 may use only IR TOF sensing (included in the trim 89 of the door 46). In contrast, in fig. 8A-8D, TOF sensors may be used in the handle 88 (e.g., door handle TOF sensor 64) and trim 89 of the door 46 for detecting obstacles and gestures, while radar may be used in the threshold for detecting obstacles. In fig. 9A-9D, an ultrasonic sensor or transducer 114 may be disposed in the handle 88 and/or belt line while using radar in the threshold plate (all for obstacle detection). In fig. 10A-10D, the door handle TOF sensor 64 may be used in the handle 88 and radar may be used in the threshold plate.

As best shown in fig. 11A and 11B, the plurality of door handle TOF sensors 64 each include a door handle harness connector 90 and a door handle flashlight regulator 92 for regulating a door handle input voltage and outputting a door handle output voltage, the door handle flashlight regulator 92 being coupled to the door handle harness connector 90. The plurality of door handle TOF sensors 64 also each include a door handle I coupled to a door handle flashlight regulator 92 and a door handle harness connector 90 ² C-repeater 94 and is coupled to door handle I ² Door of C repeater 94A handle TOF sensor IC 96 and a door handle flashlight regulator 92. It should be appreciated that the plurality of door handle TOF sensors 64 may instead include an ultrasonic sensor or transducer 114 (fig. 12A-12D and 13A-13D) or radar.

The front-rear side door sensor assembly 86 also includes a plurality of side view mirror TOF sensors 66, the plurality of side view mirror TOF sensors 66 for attachment to one of the left and right side view mirrors 98 and detecting obstructions in the vicinity of the left and right side view mirrors 98. The plurality of side view mirror TOF sensors 66 may have a range of 2.5 meters, for example. The plurality of side view mirror TOF sensors 66 are coupled to each other and to at least one of the plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit 24 (fig. 2). In the case of an ultrasonic sensor arranged on the side view mirror 98 in fig. 12A-12B in combination with an ultrasonic sensor 114 in the door handle 88 and/or a belt line with an IR TOF sensor in the trim 89, the ultrasonic sensor 114 may be used to sense an obstacle and the IR TOF sensor in the trim 89 may be used to detect a pose. In fig. 13A-13D, an ultrasonic sensor 114 may be disposed in the door handle 88 and/or the belt line, and an IR TOF sensor may be disposed in the trim 89 with radar sensor in the threshold plate. The ultrasonic sensor 114 and radar may be used to sense obstacles and the ultrasonic sensor 114 in the trim 89 may be used to detect gestures.

As best shown in fig. 15A and 15B, the plurality of side view mirror TOF sensors 66 each include a side view mirror harness connector and driver 100 and a side view mirror transmitter 102 (e.g., an IR light emitting diode transmitter, such as OSRAM SFH 4550) for transmitting side view TOF beams. The plurality of side view mirror TOF sensors 66 each further includes a side view mirror receiver 104 (e.g., a photodiode, such as OSRAM SFH 213 or SFH 213 FA), the side view mirror receiver 104 for receiving reflected side view TOF beams in response to side view TOF beams transmitted by the side view mirror transmitter 102. The side-view mirror receiver 104 converts the return signal into a current signature signal. Side view mirror I ² The C-relay 106 is coupled to the side view mirror harness connector and the driver 100. A side view mirror TOF sensor IC 108 (integrated circuit, e.g., intersil ISL 29501) is coupled to the side view mirror transmitter 102 and side view mirror receiver 104 and the side view mirror I ² C repeater 106. The side view mirror TOF sensor IC 108 uses signal processing to calculate the time of flight of the target (i.e., the time of flight is proportional to the target distance). It should be appreciated that the plurality of side view mirror TOF sensors 66 may alternatively include sensors that utilize an ultrasonic transducer 114 (fig. 12A-12D) or radar. As shown in fig. 14A-14D, a plurality of side view mirror TOF sensors 66 may also be used to monitor blind spots during movement of the vehicle 22.

The LIN bus interface unit 110 (fig. 2) is coupled to at least one of the plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit 24. The LIN bus interface provides communication over a Local Interconnect Network (LIN). The local interconnect network provides communication between components on the vehicle 22 via a serial network protocol. An ultrasonic sensor driver ECU 112 (electronic control unit) is coupled to the LIN bus interface. The plurality of ultrasonic transducers 114 are coupled to the ultrasonic sensor driver ECU 112, and the ultrasonic sensor driver ECU 112 is configured to be attached to at least one of the front and rear power swing doors 46 (e.g., the belt line or rocker plate position of the vehicle 22 as shown in fig. 13A-13D and 14A-14D) and to detect an obstacle in the vicinity of the front and rear power swing doors 46. It should be appreciated that the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 114 may alternatively comprise sensors utilizing TOF technology (fig. 8A-8D and 9A-9D) or radar (fig. 10A-10D).

As best shown in fig. 16A and 16B, each of the liftgate TOF modules 58,60, the door handle TOF sensor 64, and the side-view mirror TOF sensor 66 may include a housing assembly 116, the housing assembly 116 including a housing top 118 and a housing bottom 120, each of the housing top 118 and the housing bottom 120 being made of, for example, plastic (e.g., polypropylene and/or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). The housing top 118 includes an opening that contains a window 122 made of acrylic (e.g., transparent to infrared light). Specifically, window 122 has a low friction coating (such as an omniphobic (omniphobic) coating like a fluoro-sunflower-based POSS) such that dirt/contaminants cannot adhere to window 122. Window 122 must remain clear of debris to allow the infrared TOF to function effectively. A heater may also be added to the housing assembly 116 to melt the snow or ice of the window 122. A sensor printed circuit board 124 (fig. 16B) with attached sensor ICs and a plurality of harness connectors (e.g., door handle harness connector 90 or side view harness connector 100) is disposed within the housing assembly 116. The housing bottom 120 may include one or more apertures to accommodate a harness connector. While such specific configurations may be utilized, it should be appreciated that each of the liftgate TOF modules 58,60, door handle TOF sensor 64, and side-view mirror TOF sensor 66 may take other forms.

As shown in fig. 17, a method of teaching a plurality of liftgate TOF modules 58,60 is also disclosed and may be performed only once at the vehicle manufacturer so that the contactless obstacle detection system 20 of the motor vehicle 22 learns the closing surface/sealing geometry when the liftgate 48 is closed. The non-contact obstacle detection system 20 learns the closing surface distance values from each lift gate TOF module 58,60 and records the teaching data (i.e., the recorded curves) in non-volatile memory. The method of teaching the plurality of liftgate TOF modules 58,60 includes a step 200 of maintaining the main electronic control unit 24 in a standby state. Then 202 periodically scans the rising and falling gate TOF teaching signal using the main electronic control unit 24 in a standby state. In response to not detecting the liftgate TOF teaching signal, the method continues with 204 returning to the standby state. Next, in response to detecting the lift gate TOF teaching signal, 206 commands the lift gate 48 to move from the fully closed position to the fully open position. The method continues with 208, once the movement of the lift gate 48 has stopped, 208 determining whether the lift gate 48 is in a fully open position (e.g., using the angle sensor 54, hall effect sensor, or other sensor to detect position). In response to determining that the lift gate 48 is not in the fully open position, the next step of the method is to return to the standby state 210. Then, in response to determining that the lift gate 48 is in the fully open position, 212 commands the lift gate 48 to move from the fully open position to the fully closed position. The method continues with 214, 214 recording a plurality of lift gate TOF signals from the lift gate TOF modules 58,60 using the main electronic control unit 24 during movement of the lift gate 48 to the fully closed position. The method further includes a step 216 of generating a plurality of recorded profiles based on the plurality of lift gate TOF signals and a step 218 of storing the plurality of recorded profiles in a non-volatile memory. The method then includes a step 220, the step 220 determining whether the method of teaching the plurality of lift gate TOF modules 58,60 has been completed. Then, in response to determining that the taught method has not been completed, 222 returns to the step of commanding the lift gate 48 to move from the fully-closed position to the fully-open position (i.e., step 206). The method ends at 224, and in response to determining that the method of teaching the plurality of lift gate TOF modules 58,60 has been completed, 224 ends the method of teaching the plurality of lift gate TOF modules 58, 60. During the normal cycle of the lift gate 48, the system compares the data from the teaching method (i.e., the recorded curves) with real-time data to determine if an object is present or an obstacle is present.

As best shown in fig. 18, a method of operating a lift gate 48 having a plurality of lift gate TOF modules 58,60 (i.e., normal operation) is also disclosed and includes a step 300 of maintaining the main electronic control unit 24 in a standby state. Then, 302 periodically scans the lift gate fob signal using the main electronic control unit 24 in the standby state, and 304 returns to the standby state in response to the lift gate fob signal not being detected. The method continues 306 with determining 306 whether the lift gate 48 is in the open position in response to detecting the lift gate fob signal.

The method of operating a lift gate 48 having a plurality of lift gate TOF modules 58,60 continues 308 with commanding the lift gate 48to move from the fully closed position to the fully open position in response to determining that the lift gate 48 is not in the open position. Next, 310 commands the lift gate 48to move from the open position to the fully closed position, 312 activates scanning of the plurality of lift gate TOF signals from the plurality of lift gate TOF modules 58, 60. The next step of the method is 314, 314 to generate a plurality of lift gate 48TOF sensor profiles based on the plurality of lift gate TOF signals. Then, 316 compares the plurality of liftgate TOF sensor curves to a plurality of stored recorded curves.

The method of operating a lift gate 48 having a plurality of lift gate TOF modules 58,60 includes a step 318, the step 318 determining whether a difference between a distance measured during movement of the lift gate 48 and a stored distance value exceeds a threshold. The method further includes a step 320, the step 320 continuing to close the lift gate 48 in response to determining that a difference between a distance measured during movement of the lift gate 48 and a stored distance value does not exceed a threshold value.

The method of operating a lift gate 48 having a plurality of lift gate TOF modules 58,60 further includes a step 322, the step 322 determining whether the lift gate 48 is in an open position, the step 324 returning to the steps of: a plurality of lift gate TOF sensor curves is generated based on the plurality of lift gate TOF signals in response to determining that the lift gate 48 is in the open position. The next step of the method is to register 326 that the lift gate 48 is closed, and in response to determining that the lift gate 48 is not in the open position, the next lift gate fob signal will cause the lift gate 48 to move in the open direction. The method ends at 328 and 330, 328 stopping movement of lift gate 48, 330 registering a next lift gate fob signal and moving lift gate 48 in the opening direction in response to determining that the difference between the distance measured during movement of lift gate 48 and the stored distance value exceeds a threshold.

As shown in fig. 19, a method of operating a front door (e.g., swing door 46) having a side view mirror TOF sensor 66 is additionally disclosed and includes a step 400 of maintaining the main electronic control unit 24 in a standby state. Then, 402 periodically scans the front door opening signal using the main electronic control unit 24 in the standby state. The next step of the method is 404, 404 returning to a standby state in response to not detecting the front door open signal.

The method of operating a front door having a side view mirror TOF sensor 66 further includes the step of determining whether the rear door is in an open position in response to detecting a front door open signal. The method continues with 408, 408 detecting an obstacle using short range detection with a plurality of side view mirror TOF sensors 66 in response to determining that the back door is in the open position. Next, 410 ceases door opening and disables the system in response to detecting the obstacle. It should be appreciated that although these steps involve door opening, the method may alternatively include closing the closure or door.

The method of operating the front door with the side view mirror TOF sensor 66 proceeds by: in response to detecting no obstruction, 412 releases the latch and applies power to the motor 44 and determines whether the front door is in the fully open position. The next step of the method is to continue applying power to the motor 44 at 414 in response to determining that the front door is not in the fully open position. The method further comprises the steps of: 416 returns to detecting whether an obstacle is detected using short range detection and in response to determining that the front door is in the fully open position, it is inferred at 418 that the front door is open.

The method of operating the front door with the side view mirror TOF sensor 66 continues with the following steps: detecting 420 whether an obstacle is detected using the plurality of side view mirror TOF sensors 66 using remote detection in response to determining that the rear door is not in the open position. The method then includes a step 422 of disabling the system and disabling the door in response to detecting the obstacle. The method proceeds by: 424. releasing the latch and applying power to the motor 44 in response to the absence of the detection of the obstruction.

Then, the method of operating the front door with the side view mirror TOF sensor 66 includes a step 426 of determining whether the front door is in the fully open position. Next, 428 continues to apply power to motor 44 in response to determining that the front door is not in the fully open position. The method proceeds by: 430 returns to the step of detecting whether an obstacle is detected using remote detection. The method is then completed in the following steps: in response to determining that the front door is in the fully open position, 432 concludes that the front door is open.

As shown in fig. 20, a method of operating a rear door (e.g., swing door 46) using side-view mirror TOF sensor 66 is also disclosed, including a step 500 of maintaining the main electronic control unit 24 in a standby state. Then, the main electronic control unit 24 is used to periodically scan the back door open signal in the standby state 502, and the back door open signal is returned to the standby state 504 in response to not detecting the front door open signal.

The method of operating the rear door using the side-view mirror TOF sensor 66 proceeds with the following steps: 506. a determination is made as to whether the front door is in the open position in response to detecting the front door open signal. The front door's side-view mirror TOF sensor 66 is then ignored 508 in response to the determination that the front door is in the open position. The next step of the method is: 510 detect an obstacle using remote detection with the side view mirror TOF sensor 66 in response to a determination that the front door is not in the open position. The method continues by: 512 cause the door to cease opening and disable the system in response to detecting the obstacle. It should be appreciated that although these steps involve the door opening, the method may alternatively include closing the door or closure.

The method of operating the rear door using the side-view mirror TOF sensor 66 further includes the steps of: 514 releases the latch and applies power to the motor 44 in response to the absence of the detected obstruction. Next, 516 determines whether the rear door is in the fully open position, and 518 continues to apply power to the motor 44 in response to determining that the front door is not in the fully open position. The method continues by: 520 returns to the step of detecting whether an obstacle is detected using remote detection. The final step of the method is to infer 522 that the back door is open in response to determining that the back door is in the fully open position.

As shown in fig. 21, a method of operating a side door (e.g., swing door 46) having a door handle TOF sensor 64 and a swing arm panel sensor is additionally disclosed, and includes a step 600 of maintaining the main electronic control unit 24 in a standby state. Then, 602 periodically scans the side door open signal using the main electronic control unit 24 in the standby state. The method continues by: 604 returns to a standby state in response to not detecting the side door opening signal.

The method of operating a side door having a door handle TOF sensor 64 further includes a step 606 of activating contactless obstacle detection in response to detecting a side door open signal. Next, 608 detects an obstacle using the door handle TOF sensor 64 in response to a determination that the side door is not in the open position. The method proceeds by: 610 causes the door to open and disable the system in response to detecting the obstacle.

The method of operating a side door having a door handle TOF sensor 64 further includes the steps of: 612. releasing the latch and applying power to the motor 44 in response to the absence of the detection of the obstruction. Then, 614 determines whether the side door is in the fully open position. The method then includes a step 616 of continuing to apply power to the motor 44 in response to a determination that the front door is not in the fully open position. Next, 618 returns to the step of detecting whether an obstacle is detected using the door handle TOF sensor 64, and 620 concludes that the side door is open in response to a determination that the side door is in the fully open position.

Referring first to fig. 22, an example motor vehicle 710 is shown including a primary passenger door 712 pivotally mounted to a vehicle body 714 via upper door hinges 716 and lower door hinges 718 shown in phantom. In accordance with the present disclosure, powered door actuation system 720 is integrated into the pivotal connection between primary passenger door 712 and vehicle body 714. Powered door actuation system 720 may be integrated into contactless obstacle detection system 20 of the present disclosure. According to a preferred configuration, the powered door actuation system 720 generally includes a powered actuator or power operated swing door actuator secured within the interior cavity of the passenger door 712 and including an electric motor that drives a spindle drive mechanism having an extendable member pivotally coupled to a portion of the vehicle body 714. The driven rotation of the spindle drive mechanism results in controlled pivotal movement of the passenger door 712 relative to the vehicle body 714.

Each of the upper door hinge 716 and the lower door hinge 718 includes a door mounting hinge member and a body mounting hinge member pivotally interconnected by a hinge pin or post. Although the powered door actuation system 720 is shown in association with only the front passenger door 712, those skilled in the art will recognize that the powered door actuation system may also be associated with any other door or lift door of the vehicle 710, such as the rear passenger door 717 and the trunk lid 719.

The powered door actuation system 720 is schematically illustrated in fig. 23 as including a powered swing door actuator 722 configured to include an electric motor 724, a reduction gear 726, a slip clutch 728, and a drive mechanism 730, which together define a power assembly 732 mounted within an interior compartment 734 of the door 712. The powered swing door actuator 722 also includes a connector mechanism 736 configured to connect the extendable member of the drive mechanism 730 to the vehicle body 714. As shown, the electronic control module 752 communicates with the electric motor 724 for providing electronic control signals thereto. The electronic control module 752 may include a microprocessor 754 and a memory 756 having stored executable computer readable instructions.

Although not explicitly shown, the electric motor 724 may include hall effect sensors for monitoring the position and speed of the door 712 during movement between the open and closed positions of the door. For example, one or more hall effect sensors may be provided and positioned to send signals to the electronic control module 752 indicative of the rotational movement of the electric motor 724 and indicative of the rotational speed of the electric motor 724, e.g., based on counting signals from the hall effect sensors detecting targets on the motor output shaft. In the event that the sensed motor speed is greater than the threshold speed and the current sensor registers a significant change in current consumption, the electronic control module 752 may determine that the user is manually moving the door 712 while the motor 724 is also operating, thereby moving the door 712 between its open and closed positions. The electronic control module 752 may then send a signal to the electric motor 724 to stop the motor 724 and may even disengage the slip clutch 728 (if provided). Conversely, when the electronic control module 752 is in a power on or power off mode and the hall effect sensor indicates that the speed of the electric motor 724 is less than a threshold speed (e.g., zero) and a current spike is recorded, the electronic control module 752 may determine that an obstacle is in the path of the vehicle door 712, in which case the electronic control system may take any appropriate action, such as sending a signal to turn off the electric motor 736. Accordingly, the electronic control module 752 receives feedback from the hall effect sensor to ensure that no contact obstacle is occurring during movement of the door 712 from the closed position to the open position, whereas the electronic control module 752 receives feedback from the hall effect sensor to ensure that no contact obstacle is occurring during movement of the door 712 from the open position to the closed position.

As schematically shown in fig. 23, the electronic control module 752 may be in communication with a remote key card 760 or an internal/external handle switch 762 for receiving a request from a user to open or close the door 712. In other words, the electronic control module 752 receives command signals from the remote key card 760 and/or the internal/external handle switch 762 to initiate opening or closing of the door 712. Upon receipt of the command, the electronic control module 752 continues to provide a signal in the form of a pulse width modulated voltage (for speed control) to the electric motor 724 to turn on the motor 724 and initiate the pivoting swing motion of the vehicle door 712. While providing the signal, the electronic control module 752 also obtains feedback from the hall effect sensor of the electric motor 724 to ensure that no contact obstruction is occurring. If no obstruction is present, motor 736 will continue to generate rotational force to actuate spindle drive mechanism 730. Once the door 712 is positioned at the desired location, the motor 724 is turned off and the "self-locking" gear associated with the gearbox 726 keeps the door 712 in that position. If the user attempts to move the vehicle door 712 to a different operating position, the electric motor 724 will first resist the user's action (thereby repeating the door check function) and eventually release and allow the door to move to a new desired position. Further, once the door 712 is stopped, the electronic control module 752 will provide the electric motor 724 with the required power to maintain it in that position. If the user provides a sufficiently large motion input to the door 712 (i.e., as in the case where the user wants to close the door), the electronic control module 752 will recognize the motion via hall effect pulses and continue to perform a fully closed operation on the door 712.

As previously disclosed herein, the electronic control module 752 may also receive additional input from a sensor located on a portion of the vehicle door 712, such as on the door mirror 765, or the like. The sensor 764 evaluates whether an obstacle, such as another automobile, tree, or pillar, is near or very near the door 712. If such an obstacle is present, the sensor 764 will send a signal to the electronic control module 752, and the electronic control module 752 will continue to close the electric motor 724 to stop movement of the door 712, thereby preventing the door 712 from striking the obstacle. This provides a non-contact obstacle avoidance system. Additionally, or alternatively, the contact obstacle avoidance system may be placed in the vehicle 710, the vehicle 710 including a contact sensor 766 mounted to the door as associated with the molded part 767 and operable to send a signal to the controller 752.

The powered actuator disclosed in commonly owned U.S. patent No.9,174,517, which is incorporated by reference herein, is one non-limiting example of a powered closure arrangement that is configured to be easily integrated into the non-contact obstacle detection system of the present disclosure. Specifically, this is an example of a non-contact obstacle detection system that may be used in conjunction with a motor of a powered actuator to drive a closure member, and an absolute position sensor may be used to determine the fully open position. Other power devices, such as power release latches, may be used with the non-contact obstacle detection system. For example, non-limiting examples of such power release latches are disclosed in U.S. publication No.2015/0330116 and U.S. publication No.2012/0313384, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Similarly, a powered lift gate actuator capable of being associated therewith is disclosed in WO 2014/199235 as also incorporated herein. Finally, a power strut apparatus for a power liftgate system is disclosed in U.S. publication No.2015/0376929, the teachings of which are further incorporated herein by reference.

In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 114 or sensors coupled to the ultrasonic sensor driver ECU 112 described above may, for example, include ultrasonic transducers 114 manufactured by Murata, part number MA-58MF 14-7N. Such ultrasonic transducers 114 may exhibit directionality (i.e., the extent to which radiation emitted from the ultrasonic transducer 114 is concentrated in a single direction). The ultrasonic sensor driver ECU 112 used herein may include, for example, an elmos E524.08 or elmos E524.09 ultrasonic sensor driver. Various software strategies including automatic threshold generation may be employed for eliminating ground reflections. Other software strategies may include, but are not limited to, sensitivity time control (using a ratio of a fixed value to a gain that increases over time), near field threshold generation (for reducing/eliminating ringing characteristics that occur during transmission bursts), and controllable listening window length (changing transmit and receive times). However, it should be understood that various other types of ultrasonic transducers 114, ultrasonic transducer driver ECU 112, and/or software strategies may be utilized.

Fig. 24A and 24B show specific packaging locations and sensing areas of the ultrasonic transducer 114 on the underside of the outside mirror of the vehicle 22. Specifically, a pair of ultrasonic transducers 114 may be mounted with the sensing area shown in fig. 24A and 24B. The ultrasonic sensing zone projects rearward to provide NCOD coverage to the rear doors (i.e., for a four-door vehicle). The ultrasonic sensing region protects the front door during power on cycles.

In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, the plurality of ultrasonic transducers 114 may include, for example, a first ultrasonic transducer 114 (e.g., having an eighty degree sensing area) and a second ultrasonic transducer 114 (e.g., having a thirty-four degree sensing area) disposed along a lower inner edge of swing door 46 (fig. 25A and 25B). In more detail, the first ultrasonic transducer 114 is used to detect an object in the path of the closed door (i.e., the first ultrasonic transducer 114 may be closed when the swing door 46 is opened). The second ultrasonic transducer 114 may also be used to detect an object, such as a knee, in the path of closing the swing door 46 (e.g., the front door of the vehicle 22), and the second ultrasonic transducer 114 may also be turned off or disabled during the time that the swing door 46 is open. The third ultrasonic transducer 114 may also enable non-contact obstacle detection with respect to the back door when opened.

Fig. 26A and 26B illustrate a plurality of ultrasonic transducers 114 disposed in a threshold of the vehicle 22 (e.g., under a front door). Such an ultrasonic transducer 114 disposed on or within the threshold plate may be used to detect an object (e.g., a curb) in the path of the front door when the front door (e.g., swing door 46) is open or to detect an object (e.g., a leg) in the path of the front door when the front door is closed.

According to other aspects of the present disclosure, a mechanical block 800 (fig. 27A and 27B) may be provided at the front door (swing door 46) proximate to the hinge 802 of the door 46 to prevent a pinching condition (e.g., pinching a finger). The mechanical block 800 may be coupled to an inner edge of a front door fender 804, for example. When the door 46 is opened, the front edge of the door 46 swings inwardly and creates a cavity between the front edge and the edge of the front door splash guard 804. By placing the mechanical block 800 on the front door stop 804, no cavity is formed, as the mechanical block 800 will maintain the same distance relationship with the front edge of the door 46 as the front edge of the door 46 swings inward.

As shown in fig. 28, a method of detecting an object using a pair of ultrasonic transducers 114 is disclosed. While a pair of ultrasonic transducers 114 is employed, it should be understood that any number of ultrasonic transducers 114 may alternatively be used. The method includes a step 900 of receiving a command to open swing door 46. Next, an ultrasonic transducer burst pattern (burst pattern) is initiated 902 (e.g., a transient or short time transmission from the ultrasonic transducer 114 using the pair of ultrasonic transducers 114). The method proceeds through 904 to determine if an object is detected by a pair of ultrasonic transducers 114 during ultrasonic burst mode. The method continues at 906 to stop the ultrasonic transducer burst mode in response to the detected object.

The method may further include a step 908 of determining if a first predetermined amount of time (e.g., 500 milliseconds) has elapsed in response to the object not being detected. The method continues to step 910 where the pair of ultrasonic transducers 114 wait to pulse during the ultrasonic transducer pulse train mode after determining whether a first predetermined amount of time has elapsed. Next, after waiting for the pair of ultrasonic transducers 114 to emit bursts during the ultrasonic transducer burst mode, 912 proceeds to determine if the pair of ultrasonic transducers 114 detect an object in response to not detecting the object.

In response to a determination that the first predetermined amount of time has elapsed and that an object has not been detected, the method may continue by 914 to begin moving swing door 46. The method further includes a step 916 of determining if the pair of ultrasonic transducers 114 detect an object as the swing door moves. Next 918, the swing gate and ultrasonic transducer burst mode is stopped in response to detecting the object. The next step of the method is 920 to determine if swing door 46 has completed its cycle (e.g., is fully open) in response to not detecting an object. Next 922 waits for the pair of ultrasonic transducers 114 to emit a burst during the ultrasonic transducer burst mode in response to determining that swing gate 46 has not completed its cycle. The method proceeds through 924 to continue to determine whether the pair of ultrasonic transducers 114 detects an object in response to not detecting an object and after waiting for the pair of ultrasonic transducers 114 to emit a pulse train. The method further includes a step 926 of stopping the ultrasonic transducer burst mode in response to the gate 46 completing its cycle and no object being detected.

As shown in fig. 29, a method of operating a pair of ultrasonic transducers 114 in an ultrasonic transducer burst mode is also disclosed. The method includes a step 1000 of initiating an ultrasonic transducer burst mode using a pair of ultrasonic transducers 114 including a first ultrasonic transducer 114 and a second ultrasonic transducer 114. The method proceeds by 1002 the first ultrasonic transducer 114 issuing a burst and 1004 determining whether a second predetermined amount of time (e.g., 40 milliseconds) has elapsed after the first ultrasonic transducer 114 issuing the burst. The method further includes a step 1006 of waiting in response to a determination that a second predetermined amount of time period has not elapsed after the first ultrasonic transducer 114 emits the pulse train.

The method then continues 1008 with the second ultrasonic transducer 114 issuing bursts in response to determining that a second predetermined period of time has elapsed after the first ultrasonic transducer 114 issuing bursts. The method continues at 1010 by receiving a first set of data from the first ultrasonic transducer 114 after the second ultrasonic transducer 114 emits a burst.

The method determines whether a second predetermined amount of time (e.g., 40 milliseconds) has elapsed after the second ultrasonic transducer 114 issued the pulse train, via step 1012. Next, 1014 waits in response to determining that a second predetermined period of time has not elapsed after the second ultrasonic transducer 114 emits the pulse train. The method then includes step 1016 of receiving a second set of data from the second ultrasonic transducer 114 after a wait for a second predetermined period of time has not elapsed in response to determining that the second ultrasonic transducer 114 has sent out the burst. The next step of the method is 1018, which uses the first and second sets of data to determine if there is an object that swing door 46 may strike. The method then includes a step 1020 of sending a stop power door signal (e.g., to power door actuation system 720) in response to a determination of an object that swing door 46 may strike. The method further includes 1022 a step of returning to step 1000 of initiating an ultrasonic transducer burst mode with a pair of ultrasonic transducers 114 including a first ultrasonic transducer 114 and a second ultrasonic transducer 114 in response to a determination that there is no object upon which the swing door 46 may strike.

It will be apparent that changes may be made in the contents described and illustrated herein without departing from the scope defined in the following claims. The non-contact obstacle detection system may operate, for example, with numerous combinations of various types of non-contact sensors and any closure member (closure member) of the motor vehicle. In general, the contactless obstacle detection system may also be used for other purposes within a motor vehicle, or for different automotive applications.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but are interchangeable where applicable and can be used in selected embodiments even if not specifically shown or described. And may vary in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the concepts disclosed in association with the exemplary switching system may likewise be implemented into many other systems to control one or more operations and/or functions.

The exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough, and will fully convey the scope of these embodiments to those skilled in the art. Numerous specific details are set forth, such as examples of specific components, devices, and methods, in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be employed, that the exemplary embodiments may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known techniques have not been described in detail.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms may also include the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," and "having" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of stated features, portions, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, portions, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. The method steps, processes, and operations described herein should not be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of implementation. It should also be appreciated that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaged to," "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or layer, it can be directly on, engaged to, connected or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there are no intervening elements or layers present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in a similar fashion (e.g., "between" and "directly between", "adjacent" and "directly adjacent", etc.). As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

Although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Terms such as "first," "second," and other numerical terms, when used herein, do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below could be termed a second element, component, region, layer or section without departing from the teachings of the example embodiments.

Spatially relative terms, such as "inner," "outer," "lower," "beneath," "above," "upper," and the like, may be used herein to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element or feature as illustrated. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the example term "below" may include both upward and downward directions. The device may be otherwise oriented (rotated at an angle or in other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

The disclosure may also be implemented as follows:

(1) A non-contact obstacle detection system for a motor vehicle, comprising:

a main electronic control unit having a plurality of input-output terminals and adapted to be connected to a power supply;

at least one non-contact obstacle sensor coupled to the plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit for detecting obstacles in the vicinity of a closure of the vehicle; and

A powered actuator coupled to the closure and the plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit for moving the closure;

wherein the main electronic control unit is configured to: the method includes moving the closure member using the powered actuator, detecting an obstacle using the at least one non-contact obstacle sensor, and stopping movement of the closure member in response to detecting the obstacle.

(2) The non-contact obstacle detection system of (1), wherein the main electronic control unit is further configured to release the latch and apply power to the motor in response to no obstacle being detected.

(3) The non-contact obstacle detection system of (1), further comprising at least one of an angle sensor and a hall effect sensor, and wherein the main electronic control unit is further configured to determine whether the closure is in a fully open position, and to continue applying power to a motor coupled to the closure in response to a determination that the closure is not in the fully open position.

(4) The non-contact obstacle detection system of (1), wherein the closure is a lift gate and the at least one non-contact obstacle sensor comprises at least one lift gate TOF proximity sensor for detecting obstacles and gestures in the vicinity of the lift gate.

(5) The non-contact obstacle detection system of (1), wherein the at least one non-contact obstacle sensor comprises at least one door handle TOF sensor for attachment to a handle of a swing door for detecting obstacles in the vicinity of the handle and the swing door.

(6) The non-contact obstacle detection system of (1), wherein the at least one non-contact obstacle sensor comprises at least one side-view mirror TOF sensor for attachment to a side-view mirror of the vehicle to detect obstacles proximate the side-view mirror and to monitor blind spots of the vehicle during movement of the vehicle.

(7) The non-contact obstacle detection system of (1), wherein the closure is a swing door, and the powered actuator is secured within an interior cavity of the swing door and includes an electric motor that drives a spindle drive mechanism having an extendable member that is pivotably coupled to a portion of a body of the vehicle.

(8) The non-contact obstacle detection system according to (1), wherein the at least one non-contact obstacle sensor includes at least one ultrasonic sensor.

(9) The non-contact obstacle detection system of (1), further comprising a sensor multiplexer hub having a hub I for communicating with the at least one non-contact obstacle sensor ² A C-repeater and is coupled to at least one of the plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit for providing power to the sensor multiplexer hub and communicating with the main electronic control unit.

10. The non-contact obstacle detection system according to (1), further comprising an LCD unit coupled to at least one of the plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit, the LCD unit for displaying information related to the non-contact obstacle detection system to a user.

11. The non-contact obstacle detection system of (1), further comprising an angle sensor coupled to the closure and at least one of the plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit for detecting an angle of the closure.

12. A method of operating a non-contact obstacle detection system for a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of:

Determining, using the main electronic control unit, whether the closure member is in the open position in response to detecting the command signal;

commanding the closure to move from the fully closed position to the fully open position in response to a determination that the closure is not in the open position;

commanding the closure to move from an open position to a fully closed position in response to a determination that the closure is in an open position;

determining, using at least one sensor, whether an obstacle is detected;

in response to detecting no obstruction, continuing to move the closure;

determining whether the closure is in an open position;

returning to the step of determining, using at least one sensor, whether an obstacle is detected in response to the closure being in the open position;

in response to the closure not being in the open position, movement of the closure is stopped.

(13) The method of (12), the at least one sensor being a plurality of TOF sensors, and the step of using the at least one sensor to determine whether an obstacle is detected comprising:

activating scanning of a plurality of TOF signals from a plurality of TOF modules;

generating a plurality of TOF sensor curves based on the plurality of TOF signals;

Comparing the plurality of TOF sensor profiles to a plurality of stored log profiles; and

it is determined whether a difference between a distance measured during movement of the closure member and a stored distance value exceeds a threshold value.

(14) The method of (13), further comprising the steps of:

returning to the step of generating a plurality of TOF sensor curves based on the plurality of TOF signals in response to a determination that the closure is in an open position; and

registering in response to a determination that the closure is not in an open position: the closure is closed and a next command signal will cause the closure to move in an opening direction;

wherein the step of stopping movement of the closure in response to the closure not being in the open position comprises:

stopping movement of the closure; and

registering in response to a determination that a difference between a distance measured during movement of the closure member and a stored distance value exceeds a threshold value: the next command signal will cause the closure to move in the opening direction.

(15) The method of (12), the closure being a front door of the vehicle, and wherein the step of using at least one sensor to determine whether an obstacle is detected comprises:

Detecting an obstacle using short range (short range) detection with a plurality of side view mirror TOF sensors in response to a determination that the rear door is in an open position; and

the obstacle is detected using long range detection with the plurality of side view mirror TOF sensors in response to a determination that the rear door is not in an open position.

(16) The method of (15), further comprising the step of ignoring the scope TOF sensor of the front door in response to the front door being in the open position.

(17) The method of (12), wherein commanding the closure to move from the fully-closed position to the fully-open position in response to a determination that the closure is not in the open position comprises: releasing the latch and applying power to a motor coupled to the closure.

(18) The method of (12), further comprising the steps of:

maintaining the main electronic control unit in a standby state;

periodically scanning for command signals using the main electronic control unit in a standby state; and

in response to not detecting the command signal, a standby state is returned.

19. The method of (12), wherein the at least one sensor comprises a pair of ultrasonic transducers including a first ultrasonic transducer and a second ultrasonic transducer, and wherein the step of using the at least one sensor to determine whether an obstacle is detected comprises:

Bursting the first ultrasonic transducer;

determining whether a second predetermined amount of time has elapsed after burst of the first ultrasonic transducer;

waiting in response to a determination that a second predetermined period of time has not elapsed after the burst of the first ultrasonic transducer;

burst the second ultrasonic transducer in response to a determination that a second predetermined period of time has elapsed after burst the first ultrasonic transducer;

receiving a first set of data from the first ultrasonic transducer after bursting the second ultrasonic transducer;

determining whether a second predetermined amount of time has elapsed after bursting the second ultrasonic transducer;

waiting in response to a determination that a second predetermined period of time has not elapsed after the burst of the second ultrasonic transducer;

receiving a second set of data from the second ultrasonic transducer after waiting in response to a determination that a second predetermined period of time has not elapsed after bursting the second ultrasonic transducer; and

the first set of data and the second set of data are used to determine whether an object is present that the closure is capable of striking.

(20) The method of (19), wherein the step of stopping movement of the closure in response to the closure not being in the open position can comprise the steps of:

Transmitting a stop power door signal in response to a determination that there is an object that the closure may strike; and

in response to a determination that there is no object that the closure member may strike, switching back to the step of initiating an ultrasound transducer burst mode using a pair of ultrasound transducers including a first ultrasound transducer and a second ultrasound transducer.

Claims

1. A non-contact obstacle detection system (20) for a motor vehicle (22, 710), comprising:

a main electronic control unit (24) having a plurality of input-output terminals and adapted to be connected to a power supply (26);

at least one non-contact obstacle sensor (58, 60, 64, 66, 114) coupled to the plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit (24) for detecting obstacles in the vicinity of a closure (46, 48, 712, 719) of the vehicle (22, 710), the at least one non-contact obstacle sensor (58, 60, 64, 66, 114) comprising at least one sensor disposed on a side view mirror of a front door; and

-a power actuator coupled to the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) and to the plurality of input-output terminals of the main electronic control unit (24) for moving the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719);

Wherein the main electronic control unit (24) is configured to: -moving the closure (46, 48, 712, 719) using the powered actuator, -detecting an obstacle using the at least one contactless obstacle sensor (58, 60, 64, 66, 114), -detecting an obstacle using short range detection with the at least one sensor in response to a determination that a rear door of a vehicle is in an open position, -detecting the obstacle using long range detection with the at least one sensor in response to a determination that the rear door is not in the open position, and-stopping the movement of the closure (46, 48, 712, 719) in response to detecting an obstacle.

2. The non-contact obstacle detection system (20) of claim 1, wherein the main electronic control unit (24) is further configured to release the latch and apply power to the motor (44, 724) in response to no obstacle being detected.

3. The non-contact obstacle detection system (20) of claim 1, further comprising at least one of an angle sensor (54) and a hall effect sensor, and wherein the main electronic control unit (24) is further configured to determine whether the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) is in a fully open position, and to continue applying power to a motor (44, 72) coupled to the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) in response to a determination that the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) is not in the fully open position.

4. The non-contact obstacle detection system (20) of claim 1 wherein said at least one non-contact obstacle sensor (58, 60, 64, 66, 114) comprises at least one ultrasonic sensor (114).

5. A method of operating a non-contact obstacle detection system (20) for a motor vehicle (22, 710), comprising the steps of:

determining, using the main electronic control unit (24), whether the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) is in an open position in response to detecting the command signal;

commanding the movement of the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) from the fully closed position to the fully open position in response to a determination that the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) is not in the open position;

commanding the movement of the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) from the open position to the fully closed position in response to a determination that the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) is in the open position;

determining whether an obstacle is detected using at least one non-contact obstacle sensor (58, 60, 64, 66, 114) comprising at least one sensor disposed on a side view mirror of the front door;

detecting an obstacle using short range detection with the at least one sensor disposed on a side view mirror of the front door in response to a determination that a rear door of the vehicle is in the open position;

Detecting the obstacle using long range detection with the at least one sensor provided on a side view mirror of the front door in response to a determination that the rear door is not in the open position;

in response to detecting no obstruction, continuing to close the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719);

determining whether the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) is in the open position;

returning to the step of determining whether an obstacle is detected using the at least one non-contact obstacle sensor (58, 60, 64, 66, 114) in response to the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) being in the open position; and

in response to the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) not being in the open position, movement of the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) is stopped.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one non-contact obstacle sensor (58, 60, 64, 66, 114) is a plurality of TOF sensors (58, 60, 64, 66), and wherein the step of using the at least one non-contact obstacle sensor (58, 60, 64, 66, 114) to determine whether an obstacle is detected comprises:

activating a scan of a plurality of TOF signals from the plurality of TOF sensors (58, 60, 64, 66);

it is determined whether a difference between a distance measured during movement of the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) and a stored distance value exceeds a threshold value.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

in response to a determination that the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) is in the open position, returning to the step of generating the plurality of TOF sensor curves based on the plurality of TOF signals; and

registering in response to a determination that the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) is not in the open position: the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) is closed and a next command signal will cause the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) to move in an opening direction;

wherein the step of stopping movement of the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) in response to the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) not being in the open position comprises:

stopping the movement of the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719); and

registering in response to a determination that a difference between a distance measured during movement of the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) and a stored distance value exceeds a threshold value: the next command signal will cause the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) to move in an opening direction.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the closure (46, 48, 712, 719) is a front door (46) of the vehicle (22, 710), and wherein determining whether an obstacle is detected using the at least one non-contact obstacle sensor (58, 60, 64, 66, 114) comprises:

detecting an obstacle using short range detection with a plurality of side view mirror TOF sensors (66) in response to a determination that the rear door is in the open position; and

the obstacle is detected using long range detection with the plurality of side view mirror TOF sensors (66) in response to a determination that the rear door is not in the open position.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein commanding the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) to move from the fully-closed position to the fully-open position in response to a determination that the closure member (46, 48, 712, 719) is not in the open position comprises: releasing the latch and applying power to a motor (44, 724) coupled to the closure (46, 48, 712, 719).

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one non-contact obstacle sensor (58, 60, 64, 66, 114) comprises a pair of ultrasonic transducers (114), the pair of ultrasonic transducers (114) comprising a first ultrasonic transducer (114) and a second ultrasonic transducer (114), and wherein the step of using the at least one non-contact obstacle sensor (58, 60, 64, 66, 114) to determine whether an obstacle is detected comprises:

-bursting the first ultrasonic transducer (114);

determining whether a second predetermined amount of time has elapsed after bursting the first ultrasonic transducer (114);

waiting in response to a determination that the second predetermined period of time has not elapsed after the burst of the first ultrasonic transducer (114);

-bursting the second ultrasound transducer (114) in response to a determination that the second predetermined period of time has elapsed after bursting the first ultrasound transducer (114);

receiving a first set of data from the first ultrasonic transducer (114) after bursting the second ultrasonic transducer (114);

determining whether a second predetermined amount of time has elapsed after bursting the second ultrasonic transducer (114);

waiting in response to a determination that the second predetermined period of time has not elapsed after the burst of the second ultrasonic transducer (114);

receiving a second set of data from the second ultrasonic transducer (114) after waiting in response to a determination that the second predetermined period of time has not elapsed after bursting the second ultrasonic transducer (114); and

the first set of data and the second set of data are used to determine whether there is an object that the closure (46, 48, 712, 719) is likely to strike.